


twilight galaxy

by norudeghosts



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Sex, Alien/Human Relationships, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Consumption of a sapient being, Culture Shock, Imprisonment, M/M, Mentions/Discussions of Ritual Cannibalism, Minor Language Barriers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Wary Truces, Weird Alien Anatomy, chan's horny for aliens that's basically the plot, there's so much going on here tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:35:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norudeghosts/pseuds/norudeghosts
Summary: Overall, the crew of the Segno is one of the more experienced ones he works with. They handle well under pressure, even in a tense situation like this, but Chan can’t blame them for the discomfort. No one from council-controlled space would want to actually be the ones to make the decision to land on Polanye.Chan isn't sure if he's better at being a pilot, or better at getting himself into really big messes.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Kim Seungmin, Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 12
Kudos: 66
Collections: SKZ Fuckfest





	twilight galaxy

**Author's Note:**

> this is for prompt 98!! please mind the tags and enjoy!

Minho tastes sugar-sweet, lower lip giving easily when Chan catches it between his teeth, and he can’t help but tighten his grip on Minho’s hips. It’s still a little surreal to feel the flesh compress so much under his touch, his fingers digging deep into the green-tinted skin, but Minho just whines softly into his mouth as he grinds down.

Slick thighs clamping down on his hips, Minho draws back, hands trailing down Chan’s chest to brace himself. “Channie,” Minho’s voice breaks on the last syllable of the nickname, head tipping down with the next roll of his hips. He’s clearly close, fluid dripping down onto the sheets beneath him, and Chan lets his hands wander upward, squeezing Minho’s waist tightly.

The pressure seems to be enough for him, and Minho’s entire body _shudders_ , skin rippling with the struggle to properly maintain his humanoid form. He doesn’t stop rolling his hips, pressing himself down _hard_ against Chan in encouragement. "Yes, yes, yes," he practically chants, tightening around Chan, and Chan is absolutely gone.

Admittedly, the slick mess left over from their fucking is probably the one downside to his semi-relationship with Minho. He _should_ get up and strip his sheets off, but Minho is practically buzzing with contentment where he’s halfway draped over Chan, eyes softly unfocused in the way that indicates he has them ‘closed’. “You’re warm,” Minho practically purrs, nuzzling into his neck, and something in Chan’s chest tightens. 

"You're heavy," Chan teases lightly, tightening his grip on Minho for just a second before releasing him. He definitely should have stopped this when he realized he was starting to actually _feel_ things for Minho. But it’s too hard to think about giving up the feeling of this, Minho halfway curled over him, a lazy weight on his chest as they both come down from the afterglow. Evir didn't 'do' relationships, Minho had made that clear enough plenty of times, but for a few minutes it's nice to pretend.

Minho’s skin is slightly tacky under his fingers, his slickness starting to dry out as he calms some, and Chan reluctantly pulls his hands away. “Alright, off, I have to clean up and get ready to leave.”

“How long is this one supposed to be?” Minho makes a soft sound of annoyance, but slips off Chan anyway, letting his weight tug him off the edge of the bed. Chan’s not quite sure if he lands on his feet or if he simply moves where his feet should be. Alien biology is still strange to him, even if the station he currently calls home is more ‘alien’ than human, but Minho always makes it seem so fluid and natural even to him that he hardly even notices it.

Chan pushes himself off the bed, rolling his shoulders before tugging his sheets off the bed. He’ll need to make sure these get washed before he goes unless he wants strange stains left on them. “Probably two or three months. We aren’t planning on any deep space jumps, mostly hugging star systems, so it should be pretty quick.”

Minho nods absently, watching him strip down the bed with a stare Chan can’t quite identify- evir have a million microexpressions humans can’t even begin to pick up on, ranging from the smallest twitches to tiny shifts in color and sheen, and he’s not sure what to be watching for. “That’s good. Not a dangerous one?”

He hates lying to Minho. He really does. “Yeah, shouldn’t be any issues,” Chan answers, making sure to keep his body language as relaxed as possible. “It’s just a supply run.”

Which it is, really. It’s just a supply run to one of the most remote and heavily-contested colonies in the area, in space known to be extremely hostile to all life.

“It’ll be fine, Min,” Chan pauses, leaning over to press a kiss to Minho’s cheek. It’s perfectly smooth under his touch, still a small bit tacky, but it seems to mollify the evir enough to pull a small smile to his lips. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

* * *

Really, Chan thinks, he should have realized that he doomed himself by saying that.

The sheer bad luck of being that close to a planetary collision is a little ridiculous, really, but it was partially his fault. He had _known_ the Vakil system was unstable, but it was still one of their better choices according to the last reports they had been given.

They were apparently out of date.

The other problem here is the Vakil system is, in essence, the middle of nowhere. There’s only one real outpost anywhere nearby, way too far for them to make it to safely, and only one actually inhabited planet in any neighboring system. Which would be a blessing, if not for exactly _who_ inhabit the planet.

Overall, the crew of the Segno is one of the more experienced ones he works with. They handle well under pressure, even in a tense situation like this, but he can’t blame them for the discomfort. No one from council-controlled space would want to actually be the ones to make the decision to land on Polanye.

“And _I’m_ telling you we don’t have a choice,” Chan swipes away another strip of warnings on the screen in front of him; he already damn well _knows_ how badly damaged their auxiliary systems are from the debris strikes they took. “There is no way we can handle an FTL jump to another system that’s more ideal and we don’t have enough fuel to just idle out here waiting for help. The taggari are our best bet at our ship _not_ coming all the way apart and killing us all.”

Jonghyun sighs deeply, one hand coming up to rub over his eyes. “Fine. See if they have a system we can ping and take us down.”

It takes Dongho longer than he’s really comfortable with to get a frequency to hail as they circle the planet. It’s surreal to look down at the surface of the tidally-locked planet, see one side clearly scorched clean by their dying sun. Chan doesn’t know much about the taggari beyond the general horror stories shared by crews who encounter one of the rare members of the species who ventures off planet. All he really knows is they’re one of the only truly apex predator species that resides even close to council-controlled space that passes the ‘sapience bar’; that alone tends to set people on edge. Add in the infamous first contact film that still gets spread around the darker parts of the commnet, and he can’t really blame anyone for their discomfort.

Still, it’s really the only chance they _have_ right now.

“We have permission to land,” Dongho speaks up, and a set of coordinates pop onto Chan’s display. “This is the safest location they can offer us. We’ll have to get enviro suits to leave the ship, but they should be able to provide the materials to do the repairs to get us spacebound.”

Getting through the atmosphere of Polayne is an unsettling experience. The boiling surface leaves the upper layers almost liquid; breaking through drives them instantly into a completely different thickness, and adjusting to it takes a few seconds longer than he’d like.

The sliver of land the taggari have directed them to is clearly the closest thing they have to a habitable zone. There’s a smattering of what appears to be some kind of vegetation on the otherwise dry surface, and as they approach Chan realizes what he originally mistook for a cliff face is actually a _very_ large cave entrance.

“Oh, damn,” Aron whistles lowly, leaning over his shoulder to look out the front of the ship. “That’s a big hole. I forget this place is like all caves.”

That doesn’t exactly inspire Chan’s confidence in the integrity of their landing zone, but in spite of some alarming creaking sounds when they hit, everything seems to hold steady. “Okay, I _think_ we’re good.”

“Well, they’re coming out to greet us,” Minki pipes up, and sure enough three, maybe four, dark figures are slinking onto the surface. They’re more slender than he anticipated, but even from this distance he can see they’re _tall_ , and the nerves bubbling in the back of his throat only get worse as they get closer.

Jonghyun sounds surprisingly stoic for the situation, even as his team shifts nervously around them. “Then we need to return the favor.”

* * *

The Segno is a fairly small vessel; that’s really the only way they got through the planetary impact even as close to intact as they did. Even still, it’s somewhat unsettling to see how close to dwarfed it is by the sheer size of the underground entrance. Chan can see hints of the society further in if he looks closely enough, just faint amounts of light arcing over what look almost like gemstone deposits.

They barely make it to the bottom of the loading ramp before they’re stopped by their greeting squad.

“Still,” one taggari barks, pushing themselves up from a half-crouched position. They tower over the entire crew- Chan would guess at least three meters tall, and that’s _without_ taking into account the elegant horns arching above their head- and draw their lips back in a visible snarl, sharp teeth bared in a clear threat. The other two stay crouched, but Chan’s willing to bet they’re just as tall, and their clawed hands are digging grooves into the dirt below them as they shift. They’re beautifully colored, really, the thick platelets that make up their skin gleaming in jewel-tones under the low-angled sun. 

They’re objectively quite lovely, even like this, but there’s an undercurrent of danger to the situation that has the entire crew on edge.

Dongho speaks first, stepping very slightly in front of the rest of the crew. “We’re the Segno. I hailed your frequency over the comms. You said we could land here, and work to repair our ship.”

The standing taggari hisses, tail flicking violently behind them. “Sssseg-no. Segno. Segno clan, what do want?”

The entire crew shares a quick glance between themselves; Chan knew they had expected something of a language barrier, given how isolated the planet was, but this could go very badly very fast. “Repairs,” Dongho repeats, slower this time. “Our ship is broken. We need materials to fix it. I- is there anyone who speaks common? Who can translate?”

Although there’s clear agitation in their features, gleaming red eyes narrowed to slits, that seems to be enough. “One who knows the _par-tag_ words. Yes. Is one,” they pause, turning just enough to look behind them without actually taking their gaze off the six of them. “ _Tolra! Nilav teklat Seungmin avrut!_ ”

The taggari language is _sharp_ , and Chan can only guess how difficult common must be for them. They seem to be at some weird standstill, the guards waiting for something unknown and their entire crew on a pause until the taggari make a move.

“This is the weirdest game of telephone I’ve ever been part of,” Minki whispers just loudly enough for them to hear, leading Aron to muffle a loud snort behind the fakest-sound cough Chan’s ever heard. Minhyun giggles quietly, clearly a little anxious, before Jonghyun shushes them all again.

Then he sees the figures exiting the cave.

While the three taggari in front of them are all deep red-purple shades with hints of brown and bare bodies, the two joining them are very different; one is an almost iridescent deep green with eyes only slightly lighter, with a strange black fabric draped across their chest and shoulders.

The other is even more eye-catching, if only for how striking the difference is. Their body is night-sky indigo, eyes a brilliant blue, and they’re easily the smallest of the group. The plating covering them is smaller and more segmented, more like scales than the large chunks the other taggari bear, and they have some elaborate sort of- ‘skirt’ is the closest word Chan can think of for the contraption, the fabric shimmering like an oil-slick.

They pause for a moment by the other group of taggari, talking in low, rapid-fire words Chan can’t quite make out. Their greeting party sounds agitated, he can hear that well enough, but then the smallest pushes past them.

“ _Teklin! Par vutir-_ ” The first taggari starts, jolting as if to grab the blue one, but before they can even move the green one snags them. The two seem to fall into a low argument as the other approaches them.

“Hello,” The taggari’s voice is softer than Chan expects, almost musical, and this one doesn't seem nearly as combative as the others. "I'm sorry about Lonakpaeir; she's very protective of us from outsiders."

Their speech is fairly clear, just the smallest bit of a slur, and Dongho visibly relaxes a small amount. "It's understandable, we realize how rare of an event this is. I spoke with someone over a comm frequency about being able to get materials to repair our ship?"

The taggari's ears perk up in a manner that makes Chan think of a dog, and is probably more endearing than it should be. "Ah! Yes, that was me. _Makitavir_ agreed to it, provided you give us resources in return."

That sombers all their moods quickly, and Chan knows without even looking that all eyes of their crew have moved to Jonghyun. He can't see his face too well from the angle and the suits, but the tension in his shoulders is clear. "What kind of resources?" Jonghyun asks slowly; Chan would bet he's trying to figure out how much of their cargo can be spared without irrevocably pissing off their employer.

"Food," And here the taggari hesitates, tail flicking from side to side for a moment. "And one of you will stay in the- in our home, until the fix is done. As. Collateral?" They seem a little unsure of the words they're looking for. “I’m sorry; my common is limited.”

Minki steps forward, clearly trying to keep quiet but failing to muffle his voice enough. “We can’t just _do_ that, we don’t know anything about what they expect. What if they _eat_ them?”

“Minki!” Dongho hisses, one hand coming to rest on the slighter man’s waist to tug him back. “There is _no_ proof to those allegations, you know how twisted things can get on the commnet.”

For all Dongho is right, none of them can ignore the amount of tension in the encounter. The taggari directly in front of them seems to be the only one unaffected, head tilted in a curious-seeming manner as they talk amongst themselves. “I’ll go,” Jonghyun offers, stepping toward the taggari with a clearly-faltering sense of confidence. “I’m the captain, and I can’t ask any of you to take that risk.”

The entire crew protests at once, and Chan doesn’t miss the way the taggari startles somewhat at the noise, ears flicking up and back in what he guesses is an expression of surprise.

He barely registers movement before the green taggari is between them and the blue one, sharp teeth bared at them, which is enough to shock them back into silence. The blue one reaches out, tugging them away from the crew with a few soft words. It doesn't seem to calm them down, but they back up a few steps, settling back just behind the other. "I'm sorry, we do not take well to sudden sounds," And they _do_ sound apologetic, oddly enough. "We understand if you do not want to part with your leader."

The reddish taggari- Lonakpaeir, Chan is guessing from context, and equally based on context apparently a female- lets out a noise that sounds like a strange cross between a hiss and a growl. " _Par mitan kila par kir! Vamik!_ " She practically roars the words, and both taggari beside her seem equally as agitated. 

To Chan's surprise, the blue one visibly frowns, ears dipping down as they look over their shoulder. " _Par mitan par rek. Teklin._ " Their tone almost sounds scolding, and the other taggari only seem more agitated in response.

"That doesn't sound good," Minhyun sounds worried himself, brows furrowed as he looks between the two sets of taggari. "We're not going to make many friends here, I don't think."

"Lonakpaeir is just being," The taggari pauses, clearly grasping for the word they're searching for. Based on the look on their face, Chan thinks they come up short. "Not acting with reason." Their tail flicks, just once, and they offer what is probably meant to be a reassuring smile.

It's a little hard to be reassured with all those _teeth_ visible, and they seem to realize it, ears dipping down again. "Sorry. They will not let me help without someone."

Chan can feel the tension in the group like a palpable thing, all of them clearly on edge from the one-sided negotiations, and the words leave him before he thinks about it again. "I'll do it."

All attention immediately snaps to him, and for a moment he almost takes a step back- ignoring his crewmates, even, that much focus from the taggari is _intense_. He forces down the anxiety, making himself meet the eyes of the blue-toned one. They seem to be the closest to a leader they have in this conversation, plus the best at understanding their conversation. “I’m the pilot. The ship won’t fly without me. That works as well as a leader, right?”

“I don’t believe that will be a problem,” The taggari watches him unblinkingly, but their expression is soft and almost thoughtful, as far as Chan can tell. Their faces are almost human-like still, even without proper noses or anything resembling eyebrows- although he supposes the secondary eyes above their largest almost looks like one. “They can’t complain as long as we make sure you have to- agree? With the terms.”

“ _Seungmin!_ ” Lonakpaeir sounds _furious_ , something that apparently transcends species boundaries. However, coming from one of them, it sets off something dark and primal in the back of Chan’s skull, makes him want to turn and bolt. Not for the first time, it hits him that they’re screwing around with apex predators. “ _Par kir civo alcat! Mitan-_ ”

“ _Makitavir kikvi_ **_tag_ ** _kir par-tag. Teklin!_ ” The taggari’s tail flicks from side to side in clear agitation, and Chan finds himself sincerely hoping they don’t end up in the middle of an actual confrontation between the two. After a moment, however, the blue one simply turns their back on the other, focusing back on Chan. “I’m sorry, I have not told you my name. I’m Seungmin.” They extend a hand; Chan is struck by how close to humanoid, if somewhat off, parts of these aliens are. It takes him a second to shake off the surprise, and when he takes the hand it’s almost cold to the touch, even through the enviro suit.

“I’m Chan,” he offers in return, doing his best to ignore the intense stares surrounding both of them. The Segno’s crew feels more shocked than upset; the taggari, on the other hand, are easier to just not think about. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but I don’t think the circumstances are too good for any of us.”

Seungmin offers him a small smile, careful to keep their teeth hidden this time. “I’m sorry you were forced to be here. If you have anything you want to bring from your ship, please go get it before we enter,” They pause, and their expression shifts to something Chan can’t really read- sure, their faces are _similar_ to humans, but ultimately still different. “You won’t need the… Fancy covering, once we are away from the sky.”

"Okay," And it's surreal as the reality actually sets in. He's really going to be a hostage of sorts for the taggari while their ship is worked on. "I'll be back in a few minutes, then."

* * *

The closest thing Chan has to a comfort is the fact that Seungmin stays by his side the entire time as they descend.

It's brighter than he expects, even though the use of electricity seems to be limited compared to every station he's ever been on. The gem-looking deposits in the walls refract what minimal lighting there is, sending it across the entire settlement- what there is of it, at least. Overall, the cave floor seems to be mostly empty, only a few buildings scattered over it, but as his eyes adjust to the dimmer light, he sees why.

"You seem surprised," Seungmin's voice is soft, and when Chan looks over he sees the taggari watching him curiously. Seungmin seems the most harmless of all the aliens he’s interacted with so far- well, ‘harmless’ is perhaps too strong of a word, given the razor-sharp claws and teeth the other still bears. ‘Least hostile’ is maybe better. “Did you think we were total savages?”

Part of Chan flinches at the accusation, even if Seungmin sounds more interested than accusatory. “I didn’t really know what to expect,” he answers. It’s the most honest thing he can offer, since until roughly half an hour ago, he knew nearly _nothing_ about the taggari but rumors. “It’s beautiful down here.”

And it _is_ , really. While there are only a few buildings on the floor of the cavern, up the walls he can see where the taggari have clearly carved deeper in to create rooms and tunnels, some gleaming with the same shimmering material that sends light spilling over the floor and illuminating the interiors with a soft glow. It makes sense now that he’s thinking about it; with the slightly-hooked talons on all four of their limbs, the aliens he’s surrounded by are likely excellent climbers.

His escorts suddenly detour sharply to the side, most of them breaking off and leaving him with just Seungmin and the emerald-toned one that had approached with them. There’s no apparent communication beforehand, just a sudden scattering as they approach one of the smaller buildings near the entrance. “I don’t think you will be able to climb the home walls. The traders who come stay here, mostly.”

The door is actually _manual_ , slid back into a groove with a gentle push of Seungmin's hand, and Chan honestly can't remember the last time he had seen one. The room itself is nicer than he went into this expecting; a bit bare, but the mattress looks comfortable and there's even what appear to be windows out into the settlement. There’s very little furniture, several shelf-like protrusions carved out from the wall instead of separate pieces, but under the circumstances it’s surprisingly cozy.

Before they step inside, the other taggari- and Chan realizes he still doesn’t know their name- touches Seungmin’s arm. Whatever they’re trying to say, Seungmin seems to understand without words, offering up a soft chittering sound instead. The two taggari lean in to each other, cheeks brushing, and then the emerald one is gone with just as little fanfare as the others.

Chan wants to ask about it. If he’s honest, he has so _many_ questions to ask. But he doesn’t seem to be in much of a place for them, so for now he just sets his bag on the mattress, taking note that the sheets seem to be a thinner form of the same material Seungmin is wearing. Now that he’s inside the room properly and can see a bit better, there also seem to be curtains framing the windows. Seungmin fiddles with a box beside the door, tapping at it a few times in with clear agitation. “Sorry, we don’t use this often, so it-”

Light spills into the room, a strange spiraled fixture above their heads audibly crackling to life, and Seungmin perks up. “There,” they chirp brightly, pushing the door back shut behind them and moving towards the windows. “It isn’t much, but it will give you some space. You do not need the fancy covering down here.”

It takes a second for Chan to register Seungmin means the enviro suit. Really, it’s _uncomfortable_ , so he takes the opportunity to yank the helmet off, taking a deep breath of actual, non-filtered air as soon as he’s free. The sensors had all read the air as breathable, so it’s not like Chan’s risking it all on just the word of some stranger. His lungs twinge at the sudden shift, and the air feels thicker down here, but he doesn’t notice any dizziness or other worrying symptoms, so he counts it as a win.

Seungmin doesn’t pay him much attention, focused on tugging the curtains around the room shut to give him- them?- some privacy. The lack of attention helps make stripping off the rest of the suit less awkward, leaving him in just the casual clothing he’d been wearing when everything had gone to hell on the Segno. Their crew wasn’t the most rigid about uniforms or specific shielding requirements- the Segno was advanced enough itself to not need some of the more intense protective clothing older ships still needed. But once he’s free of the climate-controlled suit, it registers how uncomfortably _warm_ the area still is. It isn’t so obscenely hot that Chan finds himself concerned for his safety, but it’s enough to make his shirt stick to his skin. Really, it’s one thing to know the general specifics of Polanye’s condition; it’s entirely another to experience it.

Once they seem satisfied with the state of the room, Seungmin turns back to Chan with bright eyes, and for a split second he’s filled with the irrational fear he’s going to be eaten. Forcing it down, he offers Seungmin a small smile, but before he can get a word out, the taggari is firing off questions. “You are a ‘human’, aren’t you? We don’t get many of you out here. Are you a-” Seungmin cuts off for a moment, ears twitching rapidly as they seem to consider their sentence. Then, in something that makes Chan think of a puppy almost, their ears perk up.”Oh! Yes, are you a ‘male’ or a ‘female’ human? What words do we use for you? Your kind has specific ones, don’t they?”

“Uh- male, yes, we do, and ‘he’ or ‘him’ usually,” Chan answers automatically. It’s not unusual to be asked these sorts of questions by aliens, really, but the _enthusiasm_ is more than he’s used to. “Is it okay if I ask the same?”

Seungmin blinks, tilting their head for a moment, then appears to process the question. “Oh! Yes, it’s okay. Your kind calls the ones like me the ‘males’, usually. It doesn’t matter much to us. Our words don’t translate right.” They- _he_ seems to be rambling, and Chan bites his lip on a laugh. Seungmin’s interest and willingness to share is endearing, he has to admit.

Chan gets the impression that Seungmin plans to say more, maybe offer a deeper explanation as to what he means by ‘ones like him’, but the door is pushed open before he gets a chance. The greenish taggari from before slips into the room, eyeing Chan warily before approaching Seungmin. “ _Lapit,_ ” Their voice is softer than Chan expects, based on the growling he had heard on the surface before. “ _Kra tulsa irarv mitan upotli evr_.”

And just like that, the excitement that Seungmin had been teeming with all evaporates in an instant. He doesn’t look _sad_ , exactly, but even with what little Chan has gathered about taggari body language he can see the tension bleeding into his frame. It’s hard to tell with their solid-colored eyes, but he _thinks_ Seungmin glances at him. “... _Kot._ Someone will be back later with food, but you shouldn’t be disturbed until then.” Another moment where Chan’s oddly sure Seungmin is about to say something else, but then the other taggari makes a soft clicking sound and practically whisks him out the door.

The light above his head is making the fainting buzzing sound, but it’s nothing compared to the idling noise of a ship or station. If anything, the room is eerily _quiet_ , only very faint noises filtering through the walls, and it finally sinks in to him exactly how alone Chan really is here. He takes a deep breath, rolling his shoulders back, then sets about unpacking to give himself something to do.

* * *

Chan’s food is brought to him with little warning or fanfare. The sudden movement from the door is enough to startle him; although he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised taggari don’t have a concept of knocking, since they don’t appear to have many _doors_. It’s another one he doesn’t recognize, this one a soft purple and completely bare, and he finds himself in a weird staring match with them as they skirt around the edge of the room to set a platter down on one shelf. “Hello,” Chan ventures, hoping for at least a little company- but as soon as he speaks, the taggari bolts, scrambling to shut the door firmly behind them. “Nice to meet you too.”

The food is fairly inoffensive, even if there’s very little of it. It _appears_ to be some kind of vegetable, without much of a strong taste and a rougher texture than he’s used to. It’s enough to take the edge off, though, and he’s grateful they don’t seem to be willing to let him starve, if nothing else. And while he’s not usually alone for deep space jumps, Chan at least has practice entertaining himself for long periods of time. He’s not entirely sure how much longer he’s alone before the door moves again, opening just wide enough to admit his guest before being pushed closed again.

Seungmin watches the door for a moment, like he’s waiting for someone to come after him. When nothing happens, he turns around, offering Chan a closed-mouth smile. “Hello! I’m sorry about earlier. They brought you food, yes?” Just as fast as he asks, he apparently notices the tray, letting out a soft click similar to the one his companion had made earlier. “Good, they did.”

Chan wonders if talking is a nervous habit for taggari in the same way it is for humans. Either way, it’s strangely cute. “They did, yeah. Thank you.” He hesitates, because it’s potentially a really loaded question, but if he _doesn’t_ ask, he gets the feeling he’ll be left out of the loop. “Is everything okay out there? With the ship?”

Taggari faces aren’t as familiar to him as human. They’re not _entirely_ alien, but there’s enough differences Chan can’t read the expression that crosses Seungmin’s face. “It’s… _Tense_ ,” Seungmin offers slowly, and the movement of his ears dipping down drags Chan’s eyes away from his face for a moment. “But _makitavir_ will honor the agreement. And no one will go against her will.”

“ _Makitavir?_ ” The word feels strange and awkward in his mouth, and Chan’s pretty sure he’s pronounced it wrong. Seungmin doesn’t look upset about it, at least. “Is that your… leader, I guess?”

Seungmin clicks again, head tilting. The movement makes the tendrils around his face sway slightly, and for the first time Chan registers that they’re now hanging loosely; before, on the surface, they’d been held back by some sort of tie so they draped down Seungmin’s back. They’re not much thicker than his fingers, and appear to be covered in the same smooth-looking skin of the taggari’s face and neck. Part of him wants to touch them, but for all he knows that’s a dire insult in taggari culture. “She is, but that’s not what the word means, if that’s what you’re asking?” When Chan nods, Seungmin clicks again. He thinks maybe it’s a filler noise, the same way humans use ‘uh’ or ‘um.’ “No, that word is _mitan_. It means ‘first’, but also ‘leader’. Your… ‘Captain’? Would be _mitan_ for you.”

“Huh,” With how secretive he’s heard of the taggari being, Chan’s a little surprised Seungmin seems so willing to answer his questions. “Then what does the other one mean? The one you keep saying.”

This time, Seungmin seems a little more hesitant, ears twitching again. “It’s… hard to explain?” In a very human gesture, he purses his lips, and Chan takes the pause to shove the datapad he’d been fiddling with back in his bag. His music hobby was not (currently) as interesting as this. “We don’t use your words. The one who birthed the one who birthed me?”

Chan blinks. “Wait, your grandmother? Your grandmother runs this settlement?”

Seungmin perks up, the excited, chattering attitude he had earlier beginning to come back. “Grandmother! That’s your word! _Makitavir_ , it means she is. My… mother?” He pauses, looking at Chan with wide blue eyes like he’s waiting for confirmation he’s used the right word. “My mother was the first born, and I am _her_ first born. There are others, with other words. But to me, she is _makitavir_. Does that make sense?”

It _sounds_ complicated as hell. Chan isn’t sure he totally follows, if he’s honest, but the concept itself makes enough sense he nods. “I won’t ask you to get too into the explanation- I don’t think you really want to try to teach me your language, after all,” Seungmin almost looks like he might disagree, but doesn’t protest right then. “It’s only fair you get to ask me something too, I think. Is there something you want to know?”

The moment he asks, Seungmin _brightens_. He doesn’t have another word for it; everything about the taggari just oozes excitement at the permission. “Have you been to many planets?” Seungmin approaches him with cautious steps, tail dragging across the ground almost lazily. Chan forces himself not to stare at it, instead focusing on Seungmin’s face. His eyes- the main ones, at least- are a _vivid_ blue, so intense they almost hurt to look at. “You said you were a ‘pilot’, yes? You fly the sky ships?”

His enthusiasm is _so_ endearing. In spite of the fact that the alien hovering by the bed he’s seated on is perfectly capable of ripping him to shreds in a split-second, Chan feels a smile tug at his lips. “I do, yeah. I’ve been to a decent amount of planets, I guess. A couple dozen?” At Seungmin’s clear confusion about the term, he clarifies. “Maybe twenty or thirty.”

Seungmin’s eyes go wide, and before Chan can even react, the taggari has clambered on to the bed beside him. The first thing Chan registers is he’s more slender than he originally thought; maybe it had been his own initial intimidation, but Seungmin seems much smaller up close. For all that Seungmin is likely able to kill him with little to no effort, even at this proximity he doesn’t _feel_ dangerous. No more than a large dog, at least. The twitching ears and puppy-like stare don’t help the comparison.

Chan’s distracted for a moment by how the taggari’s legs fold under him; it’s the first time he’s registered their ankles bend _strangely_ , his feet almost folding in on his shins as he settles down. Seungmin’s thighs are also significantly longer than his own, and this close he can see faint gaps in the scale-like covering where the same soft flesh that’s on the other’s face peeks through. “What are they like?” Seungmin’s voice is soft, more hesitant now- like he’s afraid he’s overstepped something. “The signals are weak out here. We cannot get much without the sky ships helping. Mostly images, and they are… Not allowed, to most of us. Not often.”

Something about the way he says it keeps Chan from asking. It’s not his place, even if he can see that Seungmin is bothered by the lack of information. Instead, he settles for the safer option. “There’s a lot of different ones. I’ve been to a planet where they had entire forests of these delicate crystal structures, they would shine all colors when the sun went down,” Seungmin looks enraptured by even that simple story, lips parted just the smallest bit, and he feels another smile forming. “There was also one almost totally covered in water that didn’t really have _land_ , it had these giant plants that broke the surface and the natives had learned to guide their growth and weave them together to form landing pads and other structures.”

Chan finds himself losing track of time even more as he offers up more descriptions of worlds he’s seen, Seungmin hanging on every word as he talks. It’s long enough the same taggari from before comes to fetch Seungmin again, looking at Chan with clear suspicion, but even then Seungmin still lingers in the doorway for a few moments before letting himself be led away. It was a nice distraction, at least, though he doubts Seungmin will be back; the other taggari had looked borderline furious to have located him there, and if Seungmin is as important as his bloodline sounds, he likely wasn’t _supposed_ to have been there.

He fishes out the datapad with his music again, letting himself get lost in the quiet sounds to overwhelm the unfamiliar silence.

* * *

‘Supposed to’ clearly doesn’t actually _stop_ Seungmin, as the next time Chan is brought food, the brilliant blue taggari is the one holding it.

“Hello!” The tendrils by his face are restrained again, and this time they appear to be wrapped around a cylinder in front of his chest, almost as thick as Chan’s bicep. He wants to ask if it’s uncomfortable to have something like that tied into them, but isn’t sure if it’s rude or not. “How are you? I’m sure this place is very boring, compared to everywhere else you have been, I’m sorry about that.”

As Seungmin speaks, he approaches the bed, carefully setting down the platter of food on the inset table closest to the bed; it appears to be virtually identical to what Chan was brought the first time. “It’s okay, it’s not the first time I’ve had a large amount of time without much to do,” He reassures Seungmin, forcing down his surprise when the taggari climbs onto the bed with him again, tail dangling off the edge. “How are things going up there?” He can’t resist asking, reaching over to pull the plate closer. The last amount wasn’t enough to get him full, and he’s sure this won’t either, but it’s common knowledge how much the taggari struggle for food. He’s not about to press them for more.

Seungmin clicks, ears perking up. “Well, I think? I can’t go to the surface much, but they seem to have made progress. _Makitavir_ is pleased with it at least. She says you should be gone before the next…" He trails off then, a small frown crossing his face. Chan pops one of the smaller of the vegetables in his mouth, chewing on it as he waits for the alien to figure out what he's trying to say. It's a surprise, really, how well Seungmin actually speaks common for how little access Polanye seems to have to off-world communications. Ears twitching up then down in a gesture Chan has realized means some kind of confusion or distress, Seungmin's frown only deepens during the pause. "I don't know the word. When we do the gathering of food from the growth places?"

"I think you're looking for 'harvest'." Chan ventures after swallowing his mouthful.

"Harvest. _Har-vest_." Seungmin seems to trip over the first syllable, accent strengthening quite a bit as he tries the new word. It strikes Chan exactly how _hard_ learning common must have been in comparison to the taggari language as he hears Seungmin mumble the word to himself over and over.

“Is that long?” He finds himself asking around another one of the vegetables; the taggari doesn’t seem bothered by his bad manners, at least.

Seungmin looks contemplative, although it’s a little hard to tell. “I believe it is a few of your weeks? I’m not sure. We don’t have ‘days’.”

Chan flinches involuntarily at the news. A few days wouldn’t have been too bad; a few _weeks_ sounds a lot tougher. Not just the boredom, but the low food supply was going to be rough. Not to mention, while he had stashed a few metal canisters of water from the ship, that was _not_ going to last him much longer. “Alright,” He begins slowly, trying to figure out how to word his request without sounding ungrateful. “Would it be possible for someone to bring me some extra food from the ship? There should be rations set aside for me. And also some water?”

The second part of his request makes Seungmin startle. “Oh! I forgot.”

Then the hanging tendrils on Seungmin’s head actually _move_.

Chan barely stops himself from jumping off the bed in surprise, watching as the strange looking _appendages_ delicately unwrap from the cylinder in front of his chest, only two holding on and offering it to Chan. It takes a moment for him to unfreeze himself, and he takes the cylinder cautiously. His fingers just barely touch Seungmin as he does, and for a moment he marvels at the texture- they feel almost like velvet, albeit velvet that’s been left in a freezer to chill. “It took us a bit to locate proper. Bad thing removal things.”

“I- Filters,” Chan stares at the cylinder, carefully unscrewing the top to reveal a surprising amount of clear water inside. “They’re called filters.”

“Yes! _Fil-ters._ Filters. We have some, but ones for humans are a bit harder. There is much you can’t have,” Seungmin rambles, trailing off as he seems to notice how shaken Chan is. “What’s wrong?”

Chan _should_ shake it off. He should just ignore it and tell Seungmin everything was fine. “Sorry, I just. Didn’t know those _moved_ ,” He blurts out instead, trying not to stare too closely at them. He flinches at his own attitude; he didn’t mean for it to come out as rudely as it did. “That sounds _so_ bad, I’m sorry, my brain has decided to stop working.”

And just like that, Seungmin’s face is _very_ close to his, bright blue eyes so close Chan can see the glassy sheen on them, thin slits hinting at his secondary eyes visible both above and below the largest. He’s reminded of _exactly_ how pretty the alien is by the proximity, high cheekbones and soft-looking lips. “Is something wrong?” He sounds genuinely concerned, and it hits him that Seungmin has taken him entirely literally. “Do you need a human repair?” Seungmin is so earnestly worried it’s _cute_ , and part of Chan wants to kiss him.

Which is even more proof that his brain clearly isn’t working. Yes, Seungmin is very pretty, but he’s also very alien, and while that isn’t really a problem for _Chan_ , he doesn’t think it would go over too well with the taggari as a whole. “No, no. It’s just a phrase, that’s all,” He reassures, leaning back so Seungmin isn’t as far into his personal space. “I’m just tired and hungry so I’m not thinking quite straight. Some rest and I’ll be fine.”

“Hungry?” Seungmin once again latches on to the slip of his tongue, frowning as he turns to look at the empty platter. “You aren’t used to the amount.”

“I’m not complaining, you guys are giving me plenty. I’m just used to more variety and meat.” Chan rushes to reassure Seungmin as best he can, but the frown doesn’t fully leave Seungmin’s face the rest of the time he’s in the room.

* * *

Seungmin has questions the next time he comes.

Questions, and something _delicious_.

The smell alone makes Chan’s mouth water, and it’s clearly been roasted some way he doesn’t recognize. “What is this?” The skin of it is a strange blue color, not too dissimilar to Seungmin’s, but when he splits it open the inside is almost shockingly green. “It smells amazing.”

“It’s _kirmul._ It grows in the high tunnels. Smells?” Seungmin looks at him curiously, head tilted in a manner that makes his loose _illo_ \- what he had called the appendages attached to his head- sway with the movement. “Oh, human sense, yes? Your… This thing.” And Chan has to bite down a laugh when Seungmin gestures to the middle of his face, in the general area of where his nose would be if the taggari had one. He had assumed that maybe the taggari just had less pronounced nasal cavities- or their equivalent, at least, but apparently he was wrong.

"Nose. We call it a nose," Chan reaches up to tap his own, Seungmin following the motion with intensity. “Do you know much about humans?”

Seungmin makes another clicking noise, looking at Chan curiously. “Not much,” He admits easily, which doesn’t surprise Chan.

The next sentence, though?

“I mostly just want to know about _you_.”

He fumbles the grilled vegetable in his hands, almost dropping it onto the floor. It’s one thing to deal with Seungmin’s fascination with non-taggari. It’s another to hear Seungmin be so direct about his interest in Chan, specifically. He knows there’s color flooding to his cheeks, something he’s only made more aware of when Seungmin leans in curiously. “Why did your skin change color?”

He _could_ tell Seungmin the truth, that he’s flustered by the attention of a pretty alien who, for some reason, has decided he wants to know everything about _Chan_. But that feels a little too personal, a little too embarrassing to admit. “Blood rushes to the skin when we have some sort of emotional reaction. It turns our skin different colors.”

It’s apparently a good enough explanation for Seungmin, who looks at him curiously. “It does? Like blue or green or orange? What does pink mean?”

Chan can’t help the startled laugh that escapes him. The naivety is beyond endearing. “It’s just pink. Our blood is red, so it looks pink when we blush. That’s what the reaction is called. It can be from embarrassment, anger, pleasure, physical exertion… Anything that makes our hearts beat faster.” He explains gently, watching as Seungmin leans closer, clearly examining the flush he can still feel playing over his cheeks and ears. “We have different skin tones, so the pink can be different shades, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone turn _orange._ ”

Seungmin tilts his head to the other direction, his ears twitching with the movement. It makes Chan think of a dog. Just… A very large, very dangerous, very much sapient dog. “‘Skin’ is your covering, yes? I have seen some of your different colors. They’re all very…” He pauses, clearly trying to figure out how to get his point across. For a moment, Chan thinks he might just be trying to remember the word. Then his face scrunches up slightly. “Very _plain_.”

Laughing again, Chan takes another bite of the vegetable to help distract himself. It makes sense, considering Chan’s only seen a handful of taggari and they seem to come in a veritable rainbow of colors; mostly darker shades, but many of them are still shockingly intense. Like Seungmin’s own deep blue coloring, which makes him think of an ocean at night, or the color of the sky right before he breaks atmosphere. “I guess to you they would be. Some humans use ink to mark their skin, or chemicals to change their hair color to something more vibrant. It’s just a personal thing.”

“Hair?”

Chan raises his hand to point at his own messy blond curls. He knows his roots are showing by now, but he doesn’t really care. Not out here, at least. “This stuff. We mostly have it on our heads, but we have it all over our bodies too.”

“You’re _covered_ in it?” Seungmin sounds confused, attention turning to Chan’s exposed forearm in clear fascination. Chan holds it up further so Seungmin can examine it more closely, the taggari peering at the hair there with curiosity. “You _are!_ Is it soft? Do you feel with it? Like our _illo?_ ” Seungmin reaches to grab him, eyes still wide.

Seungmin moves a little quicker than he expects, one long talon catching over the skin and leaving a scratch. It stings a little bit, and he flinches, instinctively pulling his arm back. “Ouch, careful there. I’m not covered in armor.” A quick glance at the wound shows him it’s barely anything, mostly a red line with a few drops of blood. Not even enough for a bandage, if he’s honest. Chan looks back up, ready to let Seungmin get back to examining him, but the look on Seungmin’s face makes him freeze.

The taggari looks _horrified_. He’s trembling a little bit, eyes fixated on the cut on Chan's arm like a human would look at a venomous spider. "Seungmin?" He asks softly, and the sound of his voice apparently startles Seungmin so much he nearly topples off the bed. He scrambles backwards, dropping into a crouch as he does so, entire body shaking so hard Chan's genuinely concerned that something is wrong with the alien. "Seungmin, what's wrong?"

“ _Rir rir rir rir-_ I didn’t mean to, I’m so sorry,” Seungmin rattles off rapidly, and Chan watches as the delicate appendages wrap around his neck. Chan slides off the bed, taking slow, careful steps toward the clearly-panicked alien. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry-”

“Seungmin, calm down, please. It’s just a little scratch, you didn’t hurt me.” Chan considers it lucky that Seungmin doesn’t startle again when he approaches, and he takes the taggari’s face in his hands. It’s the same chilled velvet feeling of the illo, delicate and soft, and he kind of hates this is the first time he’s properly touched the taggari.

The touch doesn’t seem to settle Seungmin down at all; if anything, he only becomes more agitated and distressed. Tendrils curl gently around his hands and wrists, holding him in place, but Chan doesn’t mind. “ _Rir_ , _rir_ , I hurt you, the _alarvi_ will get you, I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.”

“ _Alarvi?_ ” Chan’s tongue trips on the foreign word, and he forces away the urge to ask Seungmin what it means. “Seungmin, I promise, it’s nothing, humans get hurt like this all the time,” This doesn’t seem to reassure Seungmin, and Chan wracks his brain for what to say. “If you want, you can get in touch with them on the ship, they can send a medkit, yeah? And we can get it taken care of like nothing happened. Why don’t we do that?”

Seungmin watches him with wide eyes, still trembling, but the illo around his throat start to relax and uncoil, and Chan takes that as a sign he’s on the right track. “Okay,” Seungmin whispers, burying his face further in his hands for a moment before he pulls back. “Okay. _Medkit_. Medkit.”

Chan lets him pull away, Seungmin stumbling over his own tail in his haste to bolt out the door. The reaction is _strange_ , in ways he can’t even begin to comprehend; it’s just a little scratch. Barely even enough to draw blood. But Seungmin is acting like Chan has lost a limb or something equally dramatic. And ‘ _alarvi_ ’ is a new word, one Seungmin hasn’t used around him before.

He’s not sure how long Seungmin is gone, but it can’t be more than fifteen minutes before the door is sliding open and the taggari darts back into the room. A vibrant red medkit is clutched tightly to his chest, claws denting the metal surface just a little. It's a stark reminder of how _strong_ the other is, even if he doesn't show it. Seungmin hesitates at the edge of the bed, tail thrashing behind him like an agitated cat, and Chan pats the mattress beside him to try and convince the taggari to take a seat again.

Movements still jerky, Seungmin climbs onto the bed as delicately as he can, somehow making himself seem so _small_ compared to Chan in spite of their size difference. "I didn’t mean to." His voice is quiet and raw with panic. It feels like a knife twisting in Chan's chest. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay. Here, see? We'll fix it."

Seungmin passes him the kit without argument when he holds out a hand for it. It's a standard issue kit, a little fancier than some he's had to work with, but for this, the nanite gel would be a bit of an overkill. Instead, he fishes out an old-fashioned bandage and a small packet of antibacterial cream. It only takes him a moment to get them both open, applying the small bit of cream over the cut on his arm and then covering it with the bandage. Seungmin watches the entire time, completely riveted, ears perked up.

Chan holds his arm out for the taggari to examine again. "See? All bandaged up. No permanent damage. I'm fine."

Seungmin ducks his head down, examining the bandage with open curiosity and a hint of leftover fear. "And this cloth, it protects you from the _alarvi?_ "

"I'm… Not sure we _have_ 'alarvi'." Chan can gather it's something bad and related to injuries, just from the context, but that doesn't exactly give him much to go on. "We can get infections and stuff, but that's what that cream was for."

Bright blue eyes dart up to meet his. "So you're safe, now?"

Chan can't help the fond smile that tugs at his lips. "I'm just fine, Seungmin. I promise."

Seungmin exhales through his teeth, and before Chan can react the taggari leans into his personal space. He's seen them do this before with each other, on rare occasions, but it’s still a shock to feel the velvet-softness of Seungmin’s cheek against his own. It makes him think of a scenting cat, the contact _so_ carefully gentle, and Seungmin nuzzles him softly before pulling back.

Then suddenly, he seems to come back to himself, eyes going wide and ears perking up before pinning close to the side of his head. "I-I should go," he stammers, once more almost toppling off the bed in his rush to get off it, and he's out the door before Chan can ask him… Really anything.

The sensation of chilled flesh against his own lingers, a phantom memory of touch.

* * *

Time passes strangely underground.

Chan is used to it in a way, but usually he has more of an outlet, and an entire ship to roam versus a single room. The Segno still amplifies signals enough he can connect to the commnet, at least, although it’s significantly slower than he’s used to. He manages to get enough connection to download more images and videos of planets, even a handful of educational documentaries on some of the more exotic habitable worlds, to show Seungmin.

While there have been a handful more incidents of Seungmin being practically dragged out of the room, the taggari has been visiting him with dedicated regularity. He’s entirely sure that he isn’t _supposed_ to be, but that doesn’t seem to have any effect on Seungmin’s decision, and Chan finds himself getting worryingly attached.

Seungmin just has so much _enthusiasm_ for everything Chan is willing to show him, and is willing to share what he can in return. He learns a surprising amount about taggari society- that they carry their children internally, tracing bloodlines borderline religiously. That they grow up in communal houses instead of a singular family, and that there are dozens of other clans like this one scattered through the entire planet, all lead by different matriarchs. That the taggari have no concept of war, Seungmin’s tongue tripping over the word when Chan mentions it, and in fact don’t usually partake in physical confrontation outside of hunting in the deep tunnels. It’s all fascinating, and he’s sure xenosociologists would practically salivate at the chance to learn even a fraction of it, especially from an actual taggari themselves. There’s only maybe a dozen records of taggari found off of Polanye, and most of _them_ are outlaws or born off-world.

But in spite of how much he learns about the taggari as a whole, he’s learned surprisingly little about Seungmin himself.

The taggari skirts around most questions directly about him, like how he learned common or if he has siblings or who _exactly_ the green taggari female that keeps coming to get him is. Seungmin also won’t answer if he’s responsible for the sudden increase of rations when he’s the one who brings them, but Chan suspects they’re actually some of Seungmin’s he’s sneaking the human.

But Seungmin gets _sad_ , dull and dim instead of that radiant excitement, when Chan gets too personal, and Chan can’t make himself push.

“So what do you want to ask today?” It’s another time where Seungmin is the one who brings his food, the plate full of more variety than normal, some bright, almost berry-like plants hidden amongst the rest. They’re sweet, the first real sweets he’s had since he’s come here, and he winds up eating them first.

Seungmin clicks loudly, tail dragging over the floor as he clambers back into his spot on Chan’s bed. “What about others?” At Chan’s confused look, he clarifies. “You have told me about planets but not much about… Aliens? That is your word, yes? I want to know about others too.”

“Oh! Yeah, okay. I don’t know much about a lot of races, xenobiology wasn’t my best subject,” Chan admits. “But I’ll tell you what I do know.”

Seungmin perks up at that, leaning close to Chan again. He’s realized by now the taggari don’t have much of a concept of personal space, as bad as that is for Chan’s sanity at times. “Please,” And he makes sure to ask politely, which is cuter than it really should be. “We don’t get much about them. Just the traders, and normally I’m not allowed to meet them.”

Chan blinks. Seungmin appears to be one of the only taggari who speaks more than broken common; it’s strange to hear he isn’t _supposed_ to be talking to traders. “You’re not? Why?”

There’s a moment of hesitation, Seungmin glancing at the door in clear hesitation. “There are… Complications? I’m considered ‘risky’,” At Chan’s clearly confused look, Seungmin shifts uncomfortably. Whatever they’re talking about, it’s clearly not something Chan is supposed to know about, but before he can assure Seungmin it’s okay and he doesn’t have to say anything, Seungmin scoots closer to practically whisper in his ear. “ _Tavir_ \- my mother… She left. We aren’t supposed to _leave_.”

And just like that, it makes sense.

Keeping them ignorant about the universe outside their planet, how few taggari speak common, the isolation and rejection of every attempt of a proper colony that the council has tried to force on them; it makes more sense now, knowing that. He doesn’t understand _why_ , really, but with how fidgety and anxious Seungmin seems, he doesn’t push for more details.

It’s stupid, maybe, and for a second he thinks about Minho, those bright eyes and coy smile. But Minho isn’t here, hasn’t exactly shown any interest in making their relationship more than physical, and by this point? There’s a real chance most of the intragalactic community thinks they’ve been killed by the taggari.

It’s stupid, but it’s easy, to slide his hand into Seungmin’s clawed one, avoiding the sharp talons to feel the cool smooth palm against his own.

Seungmin looks startled for a second, ears flicking up in surprise, but after a pause long fingers curl around his own. 

* * *

The sound of the door opening makes Chan sit up, looking towards the sound curiously. Sure, the constant darkness outside the ‘windows’ and ever-present lights are screwing with his sense of time just as badly as space, but he’s sure Seungmin has never come this late before.

The alien looks agitated somehow, tail twitching back and forth as he nudges the door closed behind him. As soon as he sees Chan sitting up, though, he smiles, primary eyes crinkling up. “I brought you something!”

So excitement, not agitation. He’ll figure out taggari body language somehow before he’s done here. “You did?” He can see the bundle in Seungmin’s hands now, carefully cradled towards his chest like something precious. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” Seungmin pads over to his makeshift bed, clambering onto the platform to join him oh so delicately after the first mishap. Chan scoots over some to make extra room for Seungmin to tuck his long legs under him, watching as the taggari transfers the bundle to his tendrils to leave his hands free. It’s still _fascinating_ to watch the appendage swap, especially the way they seem to use each for differing purposes, but he tries to push that aside to focus on whatever it is Seungmin wants to show him. “I know you mentioned not normally eating all plants. Meat is rare here, but…”

The smell hits him when Seungmin unwraps the shimmering cloth, revealing a small black mass. It’s strangely sweet-smelling but still recognizably _meat_ , and even though some part of his brain is repulsed by the color, Chan can’t help the faint rumbling of his stomach.

Still. “I can’t take this,” he tries to refuse gently when Seungmin goes to pass it to him. He _knows_ how rare food is here, knows from his limited interaction with the rest of the clan that Seungmin passes off some of his own rationed stores to him to make sure Chan has enough to eat ever since he realized the difference in intake between the two species. He has no idea what he’s done to deserve that sort of treatment from the other.

Seungmin clicks loudly, tail flicking to knock against the edge of the bed, and pushes the package into his hands around his protests. “I already had mine. They give me more than the others.”

The tendrils are _soft_ where they touch his hands, almost velvet-like, and the sensation distracts Chan enough he takes the package. He's not sure if it's the lack of real meat for the last few months- even what the ship provides is artificial- or if the food really does just smell that good, but his stomach rumbles again. The urge to just accept the gift is _very_ strong, even if he feels a little guilty doing so. "What is this? Did one of the hunters catch something down in the tunnels?"

"No, they're still down there. Maktan hurt his leg," Seungmin plays with the edge of his clothing, the fabric shimmering in the dim light. "It's unfortunate, but it means there's more food to go around."

Chan's train of thought comes to a crashing halt at the implication. "Wait- Seungmin, what is this?"

Seungmin looks up, head tilting curiously. "Meat?"

"No, I mean," Chan almost stumbles over his words. He's surprised his hands aren't shaking. Somehow, he _has_ to be misunderstanding. "What kind of meat?"

"Taggari," And the confirmation makes his stomach twist, even if Seungmin seems flippant about it. "Don't worry, it's been cooked right, I've seen humans eat it before and they never got sick."

It's sweet, really, how Seungmin rushes to assure Chan at the expression on his face, but. _But._ "This- this was a _taggari_ \- how can you just _eat_ this?" He knows he's stammering over his words a little, his mind racing so fast he can barely keep up, but with how soft and sweet Seungmin has been to him the entire time… He had honestly thought the rumors about the taggari were just unfounded hate based on how reclusive they were.

Apparently, they weren't.

Something he thinks might be understanding dawns across Seungmin's face, and in any other context it would be funny or even cute to watch such a large creature try to make himself as small as possible, ears dipping down in a sign of hurt or confusion that reminds Chan of dogs. "I forgot," Seungmin's voice is faint enough that even in the relative quiet, Chan can barely hear him. "Humans don't have _tag-katan_ , do they?"

It's surreal to hear Seungmin slip back into his own language after how careful he's been to make sure to use terms and words Chan can understand, and the realization softens something in his chest. For all the idea feels abhorrent to him without context, it must be just as strange to Seungmin in the reverse. "No, we don't." Chan sets the bundle down beside him in the bed, careful not to spill it. He gets the impression he wasn't supposed to be brought this, especially with how Seungmin had been guarding it, and he can't ignore the thoughtfulness there. "We call it 'cannibalism'. Some other species do it, but among humans it's very, very taboo. So ' _tag-katan_ ', is that what this is called?" The words sound weird, leaving his mouth, and he takes a second to appreciate just how _hard_ it must be for Seungmin to clearly speak common.

" _Tag-katan_ is the," Seungmin unfolds a little, pausing with a frown as he struggles for the word. "The fancy things that happens around the death?"

"Funeral?" Chan guesses, to a shake of Seungmin's head. "Ceremony? Presentation? Uh, ritual?"

Seungmin's ears perk up. "Ritual! Yes, the ritual. It's the highest honor, being willing to die so others may live, and it is known. His bloodline will lift with it."

"Lift?"

Seungmin nods, illo swaying with the motion. "Their… Status? Will be higher now. They will be given better living places and better chances for breeding," he explains patiently, voice a bit steadier than it had been a few moments ago. The entire thought is still incredibly surreal to Chan, that it's _normal_ and _ritualized_ for the taggari to eat their own. But he'd have to blind not to see the sharpness of their teeth, the way every inch of them is designed as a truly apex predator. They just aren't _designed_ to eat only plants, and if food is in that short of a supply…

Chan looks back down at the bundle beside him. It does smell _delicious_ , and not being artificial meat only makes it all the more tempting. Even if some part of his brain is still screaming at the concept of eating something that was once a completely sapient individual.

"You don't have to eat it, if you aren't comfortable." Seungmin's voice drags him back out of his head, and he glances at the taggari. Everything about him seems earnest, like he really won't be upset if Chan turns the gift down. "I forgot humans did not have the _tag-katan_."

He should give it back. He _should_ do the 'moral' thing and refuse to eat something that was once some _one_.

But hunger wins over morality, and he picks the delicate bundle up once more. The meat is tender when he pulls on it, breaking down into strands so fine he wonders exactly how tightly-packed taggari musculature is.

After another moment's hesitation, he takes a bite.

* * *

Eventually, Chan's curiosity- and his growing fondness for the sweet taggari- wins out, and during one of Seungmin’s regular visits, he asks. "What does it mean, when you guys nuzzle each other?"

Seungmin startles, visibly flustering at the question. His ears twitch up, then down, then up again, and Chan would bet money that his face would be burning bright if taggari actually blushed. "It. It is a traditional thing." Seungmin trips over the answer, tail flicking with clear agitation, and Chan feels a little bad.

"I didn’t mean to pry, I was just curious. You don't have to tell me," he assures, even if he's now _dying_ to know. Seungmin’s reaction being this strong shows it means something, maybe something important, and he can't get the sensation of cool skin against his own out of his head.

Seungmin's eyes drop down, shoulders hunching up, and for a moment Chan is sure he's going to change the subject. "...Affection."

"Huh?"

Seungmin tilts his head up slightly, meeting Chan's eyes almost reluctantly. "It is a physical act of affection. For those you… Care about."

_Oh._

Chan can't help the small smile that tugs at his lips. Seungmin’s shyness is honestly charming, even if he suspects it comes from a potential taboo than his personality. "Is that so?" Really, he's not about to complain; a very pretty alien with, he suspects, a crush on him? It's a little risky, but… "Humans have something like that too."

And just like that, the insecurity transforms into curiosity. "You do? What is it like? Does it have to do with your smell sense, like some of your Earth animals?"

Laughing softly, Chan shakes his head. "No, it has nothing to do with our sense of smell.” It’s a risk, but the temptation lingers in the front of his mind. Sure, if Seungmin reacts badly, it might be the last thing he ever does. But he didn’t become a pilot for safety reasons. “Can I show you?”

Seungmin’s eyes widen just the smallest bit, and he nods eagerly, leaning a little bit further into Chan’s personal space. Which works just fine, for this. Cupping the side of Seungmin’s face with one hand, Chan takes a moment to marvel at the velvety texture of Seungmin’s flesh under his touch. This is really borderline stupid. Probably not even borderline, considering Seungmin can eat him with nearly no effort.

He leans in and presses a soft kiss to Seungmin’s lips anyways. His mouth is wider and dryer than a human's- definitely more than Minho's- and he clearly has no idea what he's doing, but Chan isn't going to complain anyways.

The taggari watches him with wide eyes when he pulls back, ears twitching. "What is that?"

Well, he didn't get eaten. "We call it a kiss."

"Oh." Seungmin is silent for a moment, tail flicking back and forth. "...Can we do it again?"

Chan laughs softly, kissing him again.

* * *

Seungmin is beyond affectionate after that; now that Chan has given him permission, the other practically plasters himself to his side, often pouting at him until Chan gives in and presses a kiss to the taggari’s lips or cheeks. The green taggari catches them a few times, but just seems oddly resigned to it, tugging Seungmin off without a single word.

It’s _endearing_ , and Chan knows that he should be doing his best to keep himself unattached. His stay here is temporary.

But the reality is so much harder than knowing.

It doesn’t help that, now that he knows how the taggari kisses, his brain keeps supplying thoughts as to how Seungmin would do a great many _other_ things. Sure, he doesn’t exactly know what taggari reproductive systems are like, or if they’re even vaguely compatible with his own anatomy, but his subconscious is very creative.

Which is how he wakes up in the middle of the ‘night’, blinking away the remnants of a dream and with his cock achingly hard.

Groaning softly, he presses his hands against his face. There probably isn't a worse situation to get a raging hard-on during than being technically held captive by a semi-hostile alien race. Especially over a relative to their _leader_. But that doesn't stop his brain from remembering the soft sounds Seungmin would sometimes make when being kissed, the way he always leaned eagerly into Chan's touches.

Really, he's left alone in here most of the time. He goes a day or two without even Seungmin visiting sometimes. He probably has the time to get himself off, even if he doesn't think the taggari have a concept of locks.

Chan stares at the dark ceiling above him, shifting to push the blankets down past his hips. There’s no actual _harm_ in this. Right? Right.

It's been long enough that even his own touch through his sweatpants, still a little hesitant, is enough to make him exhale sharply. He strokes himself a few times over the fabric, coaxing his dick to full hardness before he slips his pants down. It’s hot enough here the temperature isn’t even a shock to his skin. Spitting into his palm, he wraps a hand around himself, hissing at the contact. He’s already leaking a little, from the combination of the dream and the time that’s passed since he last had contact with anyone.

“What are you doing?”

Chan is a little embarrassed by how loudly he yelps when Seungmin speaks, sitting up and then fumbling to pull the blankets up over his exposed dick and try to salvage _some_ of his dignity. "I _really_ need to teach you how to knock."

Seungmin visibly pouts, climbing onto the bed beside Chan with the same disregard for personal space he's always had. "I forget your hearing isn't as good as mine. Are you going to tell me?" The taggari is blatantly staring at the bulge in the sheets, clearly curious.

A very large part of him wants to say no, shoo Seungmin out of the room again and just try to will his arousal away. But Seungmin has always been perfectly open with him, even about potentially uncomfortable subjects, and it's only fair. "We call it masturbation," he answers slowly, trying to stifle his tension at talking about it. It's _weird_ to try to explain to an alien. "Do you not have a word for it?"

"We don't even _have_ those," Seungmin responds instantly, still unabashedly watching Chan. "What is that?"

Really, out of all the ways Chan expected this to go, being an alien's human sex ed teacher was _not_ one of them. "Uh," he tries not to stammer when he speaks, cheeks still burning with embarrassment. “There’s a lot of different words for it, but the main word is ‘penis’. You don’t have them?”

Seungmin shakes his head, reaching out to tug on the blankets- though not with enough force Chan can’t stop him from removing them. It’s more in curiosity than malice, he thinks, especially since he’s noticed a lot of human taboos simply don’t carry over to taggari. He does release his grip on the blankets with a little reluctance; he’s not exactly _opposed_ to Seungmin seeing him like this, not with how pretty and fond of him the alien clearly is, but he had hoped to have a little more time to mentally prepare.

The open staring is strangely endearing, Seungmin's lips parting as he curls himself into Chan's side. It's still cute how small such a large creature can make himself seem, tucking his chin onto Chan's shoulder and peering down curiously at his exposed erection. "So why were you doing that? Is that what the 'clothes' hide?"

"Slow down, sweetheart," Chan tries not to choke on a laugh, even though it's more at the surreal nature of the situation than any actual humor. His cock is aching a little from the sudden lack of stimulation, although he's not surprised that he hasn't lost his hard-on at all- a more primal part of his brain only cares about the fact that there is a _very_ pretty alien _very_ close to him regardless of whether or not it's appropriate. "I can't answer you that fast. It's something for pleasure. And yeah, that's what clothes are for, kind of," Chan pauses then, realization settling in. "Wait, where _are_ your reproductive parts? I've seen you guys without your coverings plenty and never seen anything."

Seungmin makes the soft humming noise again, and Chan can feel his tendrils running over one shoulder delicately. The delicate touch sends a shiver down his spine. "Ours don't look like _that_. They're in a similar place, though you can't see them unless we're aroused." Chan mentally curses the fact that he's pretty sure his cock twitches at the thought of finding out exactly how to put Seungmin in that state. "Can I touch it?"

Chan's entire train of thought crashes to a halt. " _What?_ " He almost chokes on the word, and what spare blood he has rushes to his face. Seungmin touches his thigh _so_ gently with one clawed hand, clearly careful to keep from doing any damage. "I- you do know what you're asking, right?" His voice sounds strained to his own ears, and he _really_ wants to say yes, especially when Seungmin starts tracing odd shapes into his skin.

"It's a pleasure thing, right?" Seungmin makes it sound strangely innocent. "If it makes you feel good, I want to try."

He should say no. He should _really_ say no. This is probably a terrible idea.

"Just- be gentle, sweetheart."

A soft chirping noise leaves Seungmin and he seems to cuddle even closer to Chan, tail flicking to drape over his thigh. He doesn't respond verbally, delicately scratching at the top of Chan's thigh before moving to grasp his erection. Seungmin's palm is simultaneously smoother and more textured than a human's, as well as significantly cooler, and Chan can't help the hiss that escapes him at the contact. It seems to give Seungmin pause, bright eyes watching Chan carefully for any indication to stop. When he doesn't get one, he seems to best mimic what he must have seen Chan doing earlier, if more slowly and cautiously. There's enough spit and precum left on him to make sure the drag isn't too rough, and he forces down the urge to stifle his moan.

That only acts to spur Seungmin on, his grip tightening the smallest bit from clearly hesitant to a little more firm, and Chan definitely can't complain about that. Seungmin pauses, nuzzling slightly into Chan's cheek, and he turns his head to press his lips against the corner of Seungmin's. "Remember what I showed you, sweetheart?"

Seungmin pauses then, blinking at him with his primary eyes. His head tilts just slightly, clearly trying to remember, then the realization hits and he tries to scoot closer. It doesn't really work, and for a moment he pouts, the expression way too cute for the situation they're in.

Chan's pretty sure his heart skips a beat when Seungmin swings a leg over his, settling himself on top of Chan's thigh. It's hotter than it should be, now that he knows there's _something_ there, even if it's currently hidden from him. He's very tempted to slip his hand between them and see what he can feel, but Seungmin seems very focused on the task at hand, so to speak, and Chan lets his hand settle on his slender waist instead.

Seungmin's face is always softer than he expects. The soft nuzzling against his cheek almost tickles, Seungmin's eyes slipping shut as he presses a soft kiss to the corner of Chan's mouth before he turns to kiss him properly. It’s still a little odd to feel how dry and soft Seungmin’s lips are, and the way his mouth is a little wider than a human’s would be, but he is _so_ gentle and willing. Even though he initiated it, he still lets Chan lead the kiss, grip tightening briefly on Chan’s cock. It drags a hiss out of him, and Seungmin pauses his motions for a moment.

“It’s okay,” He reassures against Seungmin’s mouth, voice rough. Seungmin perks up a little at the reassurance, leaning closer into Chan’s space and increasing his pace a little. He can feel his thighs tense and relax, Seungmin’s own legs tightening around his. He kind of hates to admit he’s not going to last long, not with the unintentional celibacy and the unusual sensation of Seungmin’s palm. “I’m close, honey.” Seungmin doesn’t slow down, even when Chan’s hips buck up involuntarily, when he gasps into his mouth.

He can feel Seungmin’s tail wrap around his ankle lightly. “Close?” He asks, clearly curious, but Chan can’t think well enough to explain. Not with the pleasure in his veins steadily building. He _wants_ to warn Seungmin about what’s going to happen; the words die in his mouth, smothered by a low moan as his orgasm washes over him.

Seungmin slows his motions as Chan spills over his hand, pulling away from the kiss to look down curiously. It isn’t until Chan nudges his hand that he releases his dick, Chan’s cum dripping off his fingers. “What’s this?”

Chan blinks slowly, trying to clear the buzzing out of his brain. Of course Seungmin would get him off and then immediately have questions. “Cum. We call it cum. Or semen.” His tongue feels heavy in his mouth, a little clumsy, and without thinking he nuzzles against Seungmin’s cheek.

Making a soft humming noise, Seungmin lifts his hand and examines it, blue eyes glinting in the low light. “This is your… reproductive fluid, then?” When Chan nods, still trying to catch his breath, Seungmin tilts his head. What Chan is _not_ expecting is for the alien to stuff his fingers into his own mouth, the faintest hint of his tongue visible as he licks it away. Chan chokes on his own spit for a moment, dick twitching at the sight even if he’s not quite ready to get hard again.

“Is that even safe?” He asks absently, body still thrumming with pleasure and hyper-aware of everywhere Seungmin is touching him. Seungmin shrugs, a truly human gesture, and he can’t help but laugh. But Seungmin is also shifting a little, back and forth, and out of curiosity he tenses his leg between Seungmin’s. It gets him a sharp little sound, Seungmin’s thighs clamping down around him as he pulls his fingers free. “Can I touch you, sweetheart?”

Nodding, Seungmin lets Chan guide him onto his back, watching Chan intently as he nudges Seungmin’s legs apart. It takes a few seconds longer than he wants to admit for him to get the knot on Seungmin’s clothing undone, his hands still shaking a little from his orgasm. The fabric feels like silk, sliding just as easy, and he slips it off Seungmin's hips. The taggari squirms, letting him pull it out from underneath him, and Chan drops it off to the side of the bed before turning his focus to Seungmin.

Seungmin's thighs are trembling just a bit on either side of him, and he runs one hand over them to help settle him. Really, while clearly _alien_ , he supposes there's only so much biology can do with internal gestation. The platelets between his legs are small and delicate looking, reminding him somewhat of a snake, but they appear to have actually _shifted_ , like the muscles underneath have tensed to pull them apart. It’s an interesting idea, and he’s sure most xenobiologists would be salivating at the chance to see it.

He is too, but for completely different reasons.

Between the platelets is some kind of entrance, a hint of blue liquid dripping out. It’s more elongated than either of a human’s, and there’s no outer lips or anything, but it’s familiar _enough_ he’s pretty sure he has a decent idea of what to do.

Seungmin outright yelps when he runs his thumb lightly across the entrance of his hole, and Chan watches with fascination as it twitches under the attention. “You’re pretty,” he praises, and Seungmin squeaks softly, tail bumping against Chan’s side. He’s pushed up on his elbows, watching Chan with those bright blue eyes, and he takes that as enough invitation to continue his exploration.

Pressing his thumb inside gets him very little resistance and a beautiful trilling sound from Seungmin's throat, his head tipping back at the contact. He can feel that the inside is clearly different from a human's, almost chilly around his finger and _tight_ , ridiculously so. There's a little bit of natural lubrication, but he's pretty sure it isn't even half of what a human with a vagina would produce; which leads to a lot of mental questions about taggari sex and lube practices he shoves to the back of his mind.

He shifts his hand, swiping along the inside edge of Seungmin’s entrance before removing his thumb. "Is this okay?" His voice sounds loud in the quiet, and he dips his head down to press a kiss to the gap between the plates on Seungmin’s thigh.

Seungmin makes another soft sound, almost like a sigh. "Yes." Although there's a faint tremor in his tone, it seems to be more from the physical sensation than any hesitation, and that’s enough for Chan. Shifting his hand, he presses his index finger inside Seungmin, listening to the taggari whine gently at the intrusion. He can feel Seungmin twitching around him, muscles contracting and releasing faster than a human’s would, and the feeling is borderline surreal.

He focuses on trying to feel around inside Seungmin, to see if there’s any spots that are any different from the rest; the texture is _strange_ , comparatively, less damp and almost rough. The horny part of his brain really wants to know what that would feel like around his dick, but he’s pretty sure that wouldn’t work too well in their current circumstances.

Then his finger rubs over something inside Seungmin, further up than he’s used to, and Seungmin practically _squeals_ , thighs clamping shut around his arm. Chan’s lips pull into a smile, and he nudges Seungmin’s legs open again. “Easy, baby,” he coos softly, pulling his finger back out before thrusting it back in. There’s a little more friction than he’s sure is comfortable, and out of instinct he spits on his own hand to help ease the way.

Seungmin’s reaction is stronger than he expects, the taggari almost flinching away before pressing closer to him with a strangled noise. He can hear Seungmin panting softly, even if in the dim light he can’t properly see the other, and he toys with the idea of trying to fit a second finger inside. But given that Seungmin’s completely unfamiliar with his biology and so ridiculously tight, he’s not even sure taggari usually _have_ penetrative sex, and the last thing he wants to do is risk hurting the other.

He keeps his motions slow and deep, pressing soft kisses across the cool plates on Seungmin’s pelvis while the taggari makes soft whining sounds with each movement. If he was _sure_ it was safe, he’d put his mouth on the other and see how fast he came apart from his tongue, but that requires a little more research before he’s willing to test that thought. Instead he focuses on trying to find that spot inside Seungmin again, murmuring idle praises as he keeps his pace steady. “Chan,” Seungmin’s voice has a faint whine to it, and his thighs are trembling ever so slightly, which Chan is pretty sure is a near-universal sign of an impending orgasm. Moving his hand a little faster, a little rougher, he can feel the twitching inside Seungmin only strengthen, almost forcing him to still.

"Go ahead, sweetheart," Chan finds himself saying, pushing through the resistance as gently as he can until Seungmin's thighs clamp shut around his forearm. A high noise escapes the taggari, followed by a cool, thick liquid spilling over his hand, and he trails kisses over Seungmin's pelvis until he relaxes enough for Chan to pull away.

The first thing he notices is the texture- it's far thicker than anything that humans produce, and it's slightly sticky. Not to the extent that Minho gets (and the thought of the evir sends something ugly twisting in his guts) but enough that his fingers stick together lightly when he tries to separate them. It also _glows_ _blue_ , just faintly, which is very strange but also rather beautiful.

Seungmin makes a soft, breathy sound, and Chan abandons his examination of the fluid to lean up and catch the taggari in a brief kiss. Seungmin watches him with hazy eyes, nuzzling after him when he tries to pull back, and Chan laughs gently, giving him another kiss.

* * *

  
  


“Your ship is repaired.” Seungmin won’t meet his eyes, tail flicking from side to side in clear agitation. “They’re working on refilling your fuel tank and then you can go.”

Chan blinks. He knew it was coming. Theoretically, he should be excited. He gets to go back to the ship, back to his home. Back to Minho. But something leaves a sour taste in his mouth, a bitterness on the back of his tongue that burns like bile. “Oh.”

Ears twitching, Seungmin keeps his eyes locked on the ground. Chan’s almost surprised there isn’t a hole in the rock, his stare is so intense. “It should not be long. A few hours, perhaps.” There’s a soft, wavering quality to his voice, like he’s trying not to cry, maybe. Chan doesn’t know if taggari even _can_.

It’s stupid. It’s really, really stupid, and impulsive, and apparently several different levels of forbidden, based on the small amount of information he’s gotten out of Seungmin on the subject.

“Do you want to leave with me?” Bright blue eyes go wide, and Seungmin snaps his gaze back to Chan, tail stilling for a moment before thrashing even more intensely, hitting the leg of the bed hard enough Chan can _feel_ the force rumbling through it. The taggari makes a handful of aborted noises, like he isn’t sure what to say, and Chan almost trips over his words. “You don’t have to. I would never make you. But if you _want_ to go… I’ll take you.”

Seungmin hesitates still. Chan can’t blame him. He almost feels guilty for asking.

But he thinks about the way Seungmin’s face lights up when he asks about other worlds, the quiet longing when he speaks about his mother, and it’s only right to give him the _chance_.

“I can’t come back,” Seungmin whispers, claws clicking lightly on the side of the bed as he anxiously taps. “If I leave, I can _never_ come back. They’ll kill me.” Pretty much what Chan expected, honestly, and he can’t blame Seungmin for pausing- that’s a massive thing to ask of _anyone_ , to just walk away from everything they’ve ever known forever.

He reaches out to cup Seungmin’s cheek, silently reveling in the way the taggari nuzzles into his touch. Seungmin has only been more and more affectionate since they spent the night together, and Chan won’t pretend it hasn’t deepened his own feelings for the other. “Like I said, I will _never_ make you. It’s just an offer, sweetheart.”

Seungmin doesn’t answer this time. Instead, he just leans forward, pressing into Chan’s personal space to steal a kiss. It’s soft and warm in spite of the chill of Seungmin’s flesh, and Chan finds himself smiling slightly against the other’s lips. When Seungmin pulls back, there’s an expression on his face that Chan can’t even begin to read; he may have gotten better at taggari body language, but he’s certainly no expert. “Seungmin?” He breathes the question into the space between them, something he can’t quite articulate sticking to his tongue.

There’s a long moment of silence where the taggari just watches him, eyes flickering over his face like he’s trying to imprint it into his memory. Chan forces the smile back onto his face, leaning forward to kiss Seungmin again.

That’s answer enough.

* * *

Returning to the surface is bizarre.

Not just for the fact he has to put his envirosuit back on, but the sudden intense sunlight- the dying star Polanye is tidally locked to- is strong enough to force him to squint. The handful of artificial lights in the city are nothing compared to the brightness out here, only intensified by the gleam off the panels of the Segno. The ship doesn’t look quite as good as it did when they set out, the patchwork repairs obvious compared to the elegant chassis, but they look stable enough and he’s not enough of a fool to think Minki and Aron don’t know what they’re doing.

The reddish taggari from before are the ones escorting him to the ship, flanking him like they somehow expect him to cause some kind of damage to the group completely unarmed. It’s kind of a hilarious thought, really. He does notice their main eyes narrowing, the same as his, but one of the other sets has opened, so they’ve clearly adapted to the major light differences.

Seungmin is waiting by the ship, watching another group of taggari work with his crewmates to unload a handful of crates. Under the sun, his plating gleams like an ocean reflecting the night sky- dark and vast and deep in ways he can’t fully understand. Like Seungmin himself, really. The pale green taggari is with him again, head tilted close to his as the two of them talk quietly among themselves. Chan _wants_ to ask, wants to go over and see what they’re saying.

But Seungmin won’t meet his eyes, and he forces down the disappointment. It was always a long shot, really, but it still sinks in that this is probably the last time he’ll ever see the other.

He should put that on his resume. ‘Extremely skilled at falling for aliens that he has absolutely no chance with’.

The taggari don’t stop him from joining his crew in moving crates, and he quietly mourns that he’s definitely less physically fit than he was before his brief stay in taggari hospitality. Nothing some good food and getting back in his workout routine won’t fix. The sick feeling in his stomach from leaving Seungmin behind- from being so _upset_ at leaving Seungmin behind, after pining after Minho for so long? That’s gonna take some more work.

It can’t take more than an hour for them to get all the supplies promised to the taggari unloaded, and some of them begin the process of moving them back into the city. Seungmin and his companion linger near the entrance, and now he can feel Seungmin’s eyes on him, almost boring into his skin. They didn’t really have a proper goodbye, something Chan regrets, but he can’t change that now.

Dongho pauses next to him, a small smile on his face, like somehow he _knows_. “They’re running through the last diagnostics now. We should be good for take off in a few minutes.”

The recycled air in his envirosuit tastes stale. It’s a strange difference to the heaviness of Polanye’s caves, and his lungs feel weirdly empty. “Okay.” He manages to keep his tone upbeat, plastering a smile on so the rest don’t worry. He’s the last one to board the ship, hesitating at the base of the ramp. His feet feel heavy, like there’s something physically weighing him down, trying to keep him here.

“Chan.”

Chan almost jumps out of his skin at the sound of the voice, turning to see Seungmin’s companion standing alarmingly close to him. She’s pretty, this close, but even more intimidating; while Seungmin is only a small bit taller than him, she towers over him by at least two feet, and the decorative jewelry draped between her horns and over her face look razor-sharp. “You control the sky ship, yes?”

“Yes,” Chan answers slowly, trying to process exactly what’s going on. Her accent is far thicker than Seungmin’s, and it takes a second for her words to really sink in. “You’re Seungmin’s friend.”

She ignores his question, leaning down slightly so Chan sees her face clearer. “The ramp. Leave it.”

“What?”

“Leave it,” She repeats, ears twitching, then suddenly she spins in her spot and stalks back toward Seungmin. Chan watches her go, bewilderment filling him, but before he can even think about calling after her Jonghyun yells for him from the top of the ramp.

Her request- demand?- sticks in his head even as he cycles up the engines and checks all the system readings. Everything seems good. They’ve even gotten the exterior cameras on that side working again. His hand hesitates over the trigger to close the loading ramp. He _should_ close it. It’s the only safe way to lift off. The environmental systems can’t properly kick in with that big of an opening, whether or not the cargo bay is sealed off.

He checks every system twice.

Chan bites his tongue.

The Segno lifts a few feet off the ground, and he swipes away the first alarm that their cargo ramp is down. Then the second. None of the others notice at first.

“What in the…” Minhyun speaks up suddenly, and Chan glances over at the exterior cameras. A flash of dark blue bolts away from the entrance of the taggari city, and it takes a second to register that it’s _Seungmin_ , tearing toward their ship like a bat out of hell. He can’t hear anything from the sound dampening and the hum of the systems around them, but he can see it just fine- the green taggari placing herself between Seungmin and the others, the clear outcry at Seungmin’s sudden movement, and Seungmin himself closing the distance between them faster than he expects.

His cheeks hurt, and that’s what cues him in to the fact he’s smiling. Beaming, even.

The end of the ramp has to be a solid ten feet off the ground now, but that doesn’t even slow Seungmin down. A single leap is enough for him to easily grasp the metal, the taggari scrambling up the surface with his claws. Without thinking, Chan hits the control for the ramp, snapping it shut and gunning the engines to get them further into the atmosphere.

“What just happened?” Jonghyun demands, pulling up the cargo bay cameras on the main screen. Seungmin is huddled down by some of the crates, looking around the area with wide eyes; one of the smaller sets, the bottom one, appears to be open as well, and Chan makes a note to ask about the differences.

Chan can’t hide his smile even if he wants to. “That’s Seungmin. I guess he decided he didn’t want to stay.”

No one seems to know what to say to that.

At least at first. Minki pipes up after a moment, clearly bewildered. “Don’t we need like… a permit or something, to transport a taggari?”

Chan winces. He had _not_ thought the whole offer through; there was a mountain of paperwork involved in any sort of transport of a class five species, even more for housing one.

But bright blue eyes meet his through the screen, and he thinks any sort of headache will be worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> scream with me about space on twt @norudeghosts


End file.
